OHCHR - High Commissioner outlines how to build and nourish peace preview

I am grateful for this invitation to speak with so many people who have dedicated their careers to advancing various aspects of human rights. I look forward to discussing with you a topic whose urgency cannot be overstated – how we, together, can help counter violent conflict and polarisation today.

This month, tens of thousands of people may die in wars that are raging across the Middle East; the Sahel, Eastern and Central Africa; Ukraine; Myanmar; and elsewhere. Many more people will be wounded, perhaps permanently – and still more will be forced to flee their homes.

Communities, economies and nations are being torn apart by fighting. Humanitarian needs are exploding, while funding in response does not keep pace. Since the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund was created in 2006, funding needs have increased tenfold – from $5.2 billion in 2006, to assist 32 million people, to nearly $57 billion in 2023, to help 245 million people in need.

Even beyond the war-zones, tensions are rising.

The war in Gaza is having seismic impact across the Middle East and there is a very real danger of spillover.

From the Western Balkans to the Horn of Africa, the threat that simmering conflict will erupt into violence is very real.

Millions of people could be engulfed by these tidal waves of violence and suffering. And they are also eroding the world’s broader capacity to work together to meet other existential challenges, such as our climate disaster.